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ELECTION 99
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November 15 Extremists massacre 17 in Tripura Heavily armed tribal guerrillas stormed a village dominated by non-tribals and sprayed bullets indiscriminately, killing 10 persons on the spot and injuring several others, seven of whom died on the way to hospital. Commonwealth ratifies Pakistan's suspension The heads of government condemned the unconstitutional overthrow of the democratically elected government in Pakistan and warned of harsher steps if Islamabad does not make speedy progress in returning to democracy. Confusion surrounds Sharief's whereabouts Army sources said the deposed prime minister had been shifted to the southern port city of Karachi to face trial. But the local police denied that Sharief was in the city. 19 killed in Kerala bus accident Five women and five children were among those killed while more than 90 were injured, several of them badly, when the overcrowded private bus plunged into a canal at Poredam near Chadayamangalam in Kollam district. Bill introduced in Congress to freeze all aid to Pakistan Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the bill says the President may not waive, with respect to Pakistan, the application of any sanction contained in the Arms Export Control Act and Export-Import Bank Act of 1945. India has rejected Sonia, says Pawar The results of the election to the thirteenth Lok Sabha had proved that the country had not accepted her leadership, said the NCP president. November 14 India's ICBM is at an advanced stage of development The recent claim by Bachi Singh Rawat, minister of state for defence, in Almora that Surya will be test-fired soon is 'much closer to reality than the ministry's later denial', an authoritative source associated with the DRDO told rediff.com Sati or suicide, a controversy is born A major controversy has erupted over the suicide of a 60-year-old Dalit woman, who jumped into the funeral pyre of her husband in Satpura village of Mahoba district, about 200 km from Lucknow, on Thursday. Hungry elephants on the rampage in Orissa The super cyclone, which wreaked havoc in the state for over 36 hours with wind speeds reaching over 250 kph, uprooted almost every single bamboo shoot in the 189 sq km Chandaka elephant sanctuary. Sonia to visit Orissa again on Nov 17 Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee, who was in Bhubaneswar to review the relief operations, said Gandhi would discuss with the chief minister and other leaders the problems being faced by the state in rescue and relief operations. US links Pak blasts to Taliban sanctions But the state department, White House and intelligence officials all said it was not yet clear who was responsible for the attacks. Commonwealth's focus still on Pak Officials said, "The Pakistan issue has so far not been finalised." But there was unanimity behind the decision of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to suspend Pakistan. Vajpayee satisfied with Commonwealth stand The prime minister said it was in Pakistan's own interests to restore democracy as it cannot remain isolated. Commonwealth's help sought in Kashmir "There is a lack of willingness on the part of the world community to address the issue," Mushtaq A Jeelani, who is heading a Kashmiri-Canadian Council team to Durban, said. Panun Kashmir launches signature campaign in Bombay Ashok Pandit, western Maharashtra convenor of the organisation, said the recent attack on the army headquarters at Badami Bagh was testimony to Pakistan's sinister designs. Sharief may be taken to magistrate on Monday "He [the deposed Pak PM] will be sent to Karachi, probably some time by Monday," a senior Karachi police official said. Final Coimbatore blasts report by January The district collector said the commission had already submitted its initial reports in connection with the communal riots. Army to help UN mission in Lebanon With the departure of another contingent of 1,600 soldiers for Sierra Leone next week, the total number of Indian soldiers involved in peace-keeping in conflict zones will shoot up to one of the highest in recent history. NDA opposes clemency appeal: Karunanidhi The Tamil Nadu chief minister said the demand of some constituents of the NDA for clemency for Rajiv Gandhi's assassins was their personal opinion. Taller Everest moving towards China Using sophisticated satellite systems, climbers measured Everest at 8,850 metres -- about five and a half miles high -- in May. That is seven feet above the previous official measurement of 8,848 metres, made back in 1954 by the Survey of India. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'What has the NBA done to promote the cause of thirsty people in north Gujarat and Saurashtra?' Gujarat's Narmada Minister Jayanarayan Vyas hits out at the dam's opponents. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS The hero as anachronism 'Under the World Bank and IMF, the colonials returned as development advisers of various descriptions. They prevented the Nyereres and Mugabes from coalescing to build self-reliant bridges reaching out to a prosperous golden future,' says Ashok Mitra. The guilty in Orissa 'The state government did not wake up for 10 days. Even when it came to know that lakhs of people were marooned and had no food, no drinking water, it expressed helplessness. If this is not failure of the state machinery, what is?' demands Kuldip Nayar. One brahmin too many 'Kalraj Mishra, you see, is a brahmin like Vajpayee. So it looked like a brahmin was trying to hoist another -- a fact which the aggrieved Kalyan Singh was double-quick to latch on to.' Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi durbar. THE REDIFF SPECIALS Advertising Terrorism 'The Lashkar-e-Toyba's long-term strategy is not just to win azadi for Kashmir, but to establish its own brand identity. Long after the Kashmir conflict is over, they will still be active and available for hire to the highest bidder,' says Ashok Banker. November 13 Gen Malik does not favour resumption of talks with Pakistan The army chief spoke of an increase in Pakistani support to terrorists active in the state of Jammu and Kashmir after the Kargil conflict. The assistance is of several kinds, including helping them to infiltrate into Indian territory, he said. J&K situation grave: Commonwealth panel 'Militants have little difficulty in moving with automatic rifles, explosives and portable missiles over the mountains from Pakistan,' the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative said. Blasts hit Islamabad, no casualties Witnesses said a rocket hit a UN vehicle near the World Food Programme office and there were blasts in cars near the Saudipak Tower, which houses many UN agencies, and near a Pakistani government building which is also close to UN offices. Commonwealth confirms Pak's suspension British Foreign Minister Robin Cook said Commonwealth leaders expressed concern that the regime in Pakistan had given no time frame for a return to democracy. Vajpayee arrives in Durban for CHOGM meet During his-four-day stay, the prime minister will also hold bilateral talks with his British counterpart, Tony Blair. Woman, three children killed in Pak shelling The woman, identified as Shareen, wife of Mohammed Ashraf, and the three children -- Zahida (16), Shafiqa (4) and Sahida (1) -- were killed when a shell landed on Ashraf's house in Lata Tangdar village. Punjab train blast toll rises to 14 But Union Consumer Affairs Minister Shanta Kumar, who was travelling in the same train, escaped unhurt. Orissa toll rises to 7,656 Schools and panchayat buildings, which could have sheltered the homeless, have suffered extensive damage in the storm. Decomposed bodies pose health hazard The locals don't have the will to clear them and the state administration and voluntary organisations are yet to reach most of the less accessible areas. Gupta's elevation will bring only temporary respite in UP While rival factions in the state have extended unconditional co-operation to the new chief minister, reports filtering in from Lucknow suggest that both sides are gearing up to hit each other below the belt. Congress withdraws support to Rabri The decision was announced after the CWC endorsed the state unit's plea to break ties with the RJD. But initial indications are that the Bihar government will still be able to muster a simple majority in the assembly. US places no conditions on Clinton's Indian trip But the American president has no plan to visit neighbouring Pakistan. Villagers dig up mass grave in Assam The wife of one Hitesh Kalita, who was kidnapped by the ULFA about six months ago, found her husband's footwear at the site, which indicated that his body was buried there. Kerala women's panel on the warpath Frustrated with the state government's 'uncooperative attitude', the Kerala State Women's Commission is all set to move the high court to seek enforcement of its powers and privileges. Governor unveils Naidu's priorities In his customary address to the first session of the 11th assembly, Dr Rangarajan said, "Poverty eradication, employment generation, empowerment of the people, human resource development, infrastructure creation as well as balanced sectoral and regional growth through SMART governance form the basic approach of my government." A house for Mr Krishna The house that Krishna will move into is not the one vacated by his predecessor J H Patel. It was actually occupied by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda until recently. Musharraf orders sale of luxury aircraft General Musharraf has promised to cut wasteful expenditure to put the economy on the road to recovery and a massive drive begins on November 17 to recover more than two billion dollars in defaulted loans. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'We have to prepare for the coming new century, or be left behind' 'No matter how relevant our economic policies may have been in the '60s, '70s or '80s, in the changed global scenario we have to take hard decisions,' Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee tells Pritish Nandy. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS Across Your Own Great Divide 'The couples on stage had one thing in common: in each pair, husband and wife were from different communities. But that was not what made it such a thought-provoking evening. It was the sheer range of meanings the word "community" took on, and thus the range of marriages that were considered to bridge communities,' says Dilip D'Souza. Bureaucrats and white elephants 'If you gave the State the sole concession to sell bhelpuri on Chowpatty, our blessed bureaucrats would probably still find some way to drown in red ink,' says T V R Shenoy. THE REDIFF SPECIALS Conversion by choice is a core value of human rights: Pope Watch the all-religion meeting attended by the Pope in Real Video. The Pope's Mass Watch the Webcast. Only on rediff.com November 12 11 killed as bomb rips through train in Punjab Fifty people were seriously injured. The train derailed under the impact of the blast. One coach was extensively damaged, and a police officer warned that the toll could rise. No group claimed responsibility for the act. 6 BSF men among 12 killed in J&K In a deadly spurt in violence in the troubled state, six BSF jawans, four civilians and two militants were killed at Panzipora Tarzoo in the apple-producing town of Sopore in Baramulla district. Kalyan does a flip, promises full support to Gupta But the BJP's leadership has taken a dim view of his earlier confrontationist posture. His last-minute climbdown is unlikely to salvage the situation completely for the outgoing UP chief minister. Kalyan's 'arrogance' sealed his fate "The central leadership has already commenced moves to enlist the loyalty of 155 BJP MLAs on whom Kalyan Singh is banking," sources said, adding, "This time he has bitten off more than he can chew. He will have to pay dearly for his defiance of the prime minister." Gupta elected BJP legislative leader in UP Among those who attended the meeting were BJP general secretary K N Govindacharya and state party chief Rajnath Singh. New CM is an old hand at coalitions Almost in oblivion for 32 years, he was living in a two-room janata-type flat in peaceful Park Lane, just a furlong away from the official residence of the chief minister's 5 Kalidas Marg house, where he will now move in. Bibi Jagir Kaur re-elected SGPC president Before the SGPC general house meeting began, about three dozen orphaned children of slain militants staged a noisy demonstration to protest against the committee's decision to terminate the grant to the Guru Asra Trust, which takes care of them. Army denies tension along Indo-China border Sources in Army HQ claimed that large-scale troop movements along the Arunachal border are routine before winter and "not a matter of concern". Pratibha Bharati is AP's first woman speaker Leader of the Opposition Y S Rajasekhar Reddy praised her blemishless political career and said nobody had any doubts about her integrity and impartiality. The game of musical chairs continues... The transfer of 109 IAS and IPS no longer makes news. What does is the fact that those against the current dispensation suffered and some with murky pasts have gained. Petrol pump dealers protest rise in crime... They downed shutters on Wednesday and Thursday, to protest against police inaction following the abduction of dealer Sanjay Kumar in Barh and the robbing of pumps elsewhere. AP assembly sends resolution to Centre The resolution, recommending amendments to prevent political parties and individuals from contesting against a speaker seeking re-election to the assembly, was moved by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Higher pay, longer hours recommended for judges The 76-page report of the National Judicial Pay Commission headed by former Supreme Court Justice K Jagannatha Shetty, which was submitted to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will entail a financial burden of Rs 950.71 million. Temples escape damage in super cyclone At some places even the flags atop temple domes were not damaged, even though the wind velocity in the state capital Bhubaneswar touched 250 kph. India is serious about talks with Pak: Narayanan The President said he had explained to the Austrian president and chancellor the dangers of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan -- which was Pakistan's creation -- spreading to Europe. Albright offers adding 'conditions' to CTBT The US administration will also set up a high-level task force to tackle the reservations of senators and explain the treaty to the public, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said. THE COUP IN PAKISTAN Sharief to be tried for kidnapping, hijacking The complaint by a top-ranking military officer was made against the deposed Pakistani PM and five others in connection with the attempted diversion of a plane carrying the army chief, General Pervez Musharraf. Sharief's supporters fear mock trial "So far he has not been provided with the rights that are universally and internationally provided to any person charged with such serious offences," said Raja Zafarul Haq, a senior member of Sharief's Pakistan Muslim League. Musharraf was dead against landing in India In the eventful one hour that followed his sacking while he was flying back from Colombo, the general refused to even consider the option of making an emergency landing in India. CHOGM expected to endorse Pak suspension The four-day summit, to be inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II, is also likely to adopt a co-ordinated action plan to fight the menace of terrorism. Durban will focus on Pak developments Some Commonwealth countries have demanded tough measures against those nations that have no regard for democracy and human rights. THE REDIFF INTERVIEW 'This concept of helping backward areas and forward areas belongs to the 70s' "Miracles cannot happen in 100 days in a backward country like ours," says Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna. THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS Coup to stall conciliation? 'New Delhi should now take the nation into confidence and say what happened. R K Mishra undertook five trips to Pakistan and Niaz Naik visited India six times... The entire sequence of events has become important because Kargil may have led to the military coup in Pakistan,' says Kuldip Nayar. Sowing not reaping: a Catholic journey 'The Christian mission in India would warrant a softer and more constructive metaphor -- sowing rather than harvesting. Thus instead of aggressively adding to the number of converts, the Church in India should try and practise value addition,' says Anil Nair. SPECIAL The Pope's Mass Watch the Webcast. Only on rediff.com November 10 CHANGE IN UP Ram Prakash Gupta to be new UP CM By opting for a veteran who enjoys solid rapport with the grassroot party workers the BJP central leadership hopes to salvage its state unit from near-fatal factionalism. Kalyan Singh climbs down after initial defiance The outgoing Uttar Pradesh chief minister said his opposition to putting the Ayodhya issue on the backburner had earned him the wrath of the party leadership. DIWALI SPECIALS
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